Prime Minister

Kashmir

Robert Flello: To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions she has had on Kashmir with the Prime Minister of India and Indian officials during her recent visit to that country.

Mrs Theresa May: During my visit I discussed a variety of issues with Prime Minister Modi, including Kashmir.The UK's long-standing position, held by successive Governments, is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Department for Work and Pensions

Disability Living Allowance: Children

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of foreign children adopted by UK parents who are not eligible for disability living allowance because of the past presence rule.

Penny Mordaunt: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 15 November 2016.The correct answer should have been:

I am replying to this question as assessments of the effect of the benefit cap are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.Evaluation evidence in relation to the existing cap showed very little, if any, impact on homelessness as a direct result of the cap. The small numbers of capped households who have been evicted were noted by Local Authorities as having other reasons for rent arrears and also failing to engage with relevant services; they were considered intentionally homeless.Where claimants need further financial support with their housing costs in order to adjust to the benefit cap, for example while they find work or move to more suitable accommodation, Local Authorities can provide additional support through the use of Discretionary Housing Payments.To help Local Authorities protect the most vulnerable and to support households adjusting to the reforms, the Government will provide £870 million funding for the Discretionary Housing Payments scheme over the next 5 years.The information is not held.

Caroline Nokes: I am replying to this question as assessments of the effect of the benefit cap are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.Evaluation evidence in relation to the existing cap showed very little, if any, impact on homelessness as a direct result of the cap. The small numbers of capped households who have been evicted were noted by Local Authorities as having other reasons for rent arrears and also failing to engage with relevant services; they were considered intentionally homeless.Where claimants need further financial support with their housing costs in order to adjust to the benefit cap, for example while they find work or move to more suitable accommodation, Local Authorities can provide additional support through the use of Discretionary Housing Payments.To help Local Authorities protect the most vulnerable and to support households adjusting to the reforms, the Government will provide £870 million funding for the Discretionary Housing Payments scheme over the next 5 years.The information is not held.

Statutory Sick Pay

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward proposals to extend the eligibility criteria for statutory sick pay to living organ donors.

Penny Mordaunt: All employed live donors should be able to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they satisfy the qualifying conditions and provide some form of medical evidence, after the first seven days of sickness, which assesses them as unfit for work.

Children: Maintenance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has accrued to the public purse from (a) the £20 fee charged for applications to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), (b) the 20 per cent collection fee for paying parents using the CMS collect and pay service, (c) the four per cent collection fee for receiving parents using the CMS collect and pay service and (d) enforcement fees levied on paying parents.

Caroline Nokes: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Glasgow South West, Chris Stephens on 4 November 2016 (51323).

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of extending the shared accommodation rate to social rented housing on the ability of single people under the age of 35 to move on from supported accommodation into general needs social rented housing given the Government's decision to exempt single under 35 year olds from the shared accommodation rate while living in supported accommodation only.

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of extending the shared accommodation rate to social rented housing on levels of homelessness among people under 35, in light of the Government's decision to exempt single under 35 year olds from the shared accommodation rate in supported accommodation but not in general needs social rented housing.

Caroline Nokes: Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course. It should however be noted that a number of exemptions to the shared accommodation rate already exist for the under 35s in the private rented sector and, as a minimum, they will be brought forward in relation to general needs housing in the Social Rented Sector. The exemptions are: Those with children or non-dependents;Care leavers until the age of 22;Certain homeless people;People over 25 leaving prison where their housing has been arranged under the Multi Agency Public Protection (MAPPA)Those requiring overnight care or for HB are in receipt of the severe disability premium; or receive the middle or higher rate of disability living allowance or the daily living component of a personal independent payment (or the armed forces independence payment and no one receives carers allowance in respect of them). Therefore only those that fall out of these exemptions i.e. young people who are able to work and around a third of ESA/LCW/LCWRA who are not on Severe Disability Premium/PIP daily living component will be impacted.

Work Capability Assessment

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what account his Department took of (a) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, (b) Asperger syndrome, (c) dyspraxia and (d) other neuro-developmental conditions when designing fitness for work questionnaires.

Penny Mordaunt: The capability for work questionnaire (form ESA50) was developed with medical experts and groups representing a range of disabled people. It is designed to mirror the Work Capability Assessment which relates to functional ability in the workplace rather than being linked to specific conditions. The form is regularly reviewed and revised and we have worked closely with a number of charities and stakeholder groups to make changes to the ESA50.

Employment and Support Allowance: Chronic Illnesses

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with degenerative illnesses are included within the employment and support allowance work-related activity group in (a) Plymouth, (b) the South West and (c) England; and whether any special provision is made for people who have degenerative conditions.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. As two people with the same condition can be affected in different ways, there is no condition based entitlement to Employment Support Allowance. The Work Capability Assessment recognises that conditions can vary in their severity and therefore people with the same condition can be placed in the Work Related Activity Group or the Support Group.

Employment and Support Allowance: Chronic Illnesses

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the conditions that meet the chronically ill criteria used to exempt claimants from reassessments for employment and support allowance.

Penny Mordaunt: There is no condition based entitlement to Employment Support Allowance.Rather than a list of specific medical conditions, the criteria will be based on identifying claimants with the most severe health conditions or disabilities where it would be unreasonable to expect the individual to undertake any form or amount of work or work-related activity. This change will only apply to those placed in the Support Group and Universal Credit equivalent.

Employment and Support Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new employment and support allowance claimants have been in receipt of the assessment rate for a continuous period of more than 13 weeks in the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Employment: Disability

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2016 to Question 51516, whether he expects to achieve the commitment to halve the disability employment gap by (a) 2020, (b) 2025 and (c) 2030.

Penny Mordaunt: Following on from my reply to the Rt Hon Gentleman’s previous question on this matter, I would like to reiterate our commitment to halving the disability employment gap. Our recently published Work, Health and Disability Green Paper marks the start of action we intend to take to do so, both in the short and long term. The Green Paper explores how action is required by many different partners on a number of fronts. It seeks to build consensus on the change needed across society. It also asks questions on ideas for longer-term reform over this Parliament and beyond, so that our systems, sectors and social attitudes all work together to help achieve the ambition of halving the disability employment gap. We are not setting a deadline for completing this work, in recognition that achieving real and lasting change to the employment prospects of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions, will require a collaborative approach from government, employers, the third sector and health care professionals. This is why we are consulting on the best approach to reform and the most accurate measures of success.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential risk to universal credit roll-out of data corruption in HM Revenue and Customs systems.

Damian Hinds: The HMRC database holding the PAYE data reported in real time (RTI) receives the data from employers, holds it and passes on relevant data for Universal Credit claimants to DWP. As DWP receives copies of the data submitted by employers the risk of data corruption within HMRC is regarded as minimal. However, DWP and HMRC continually monitor the data and no significant problems have been identified.

Food Banks: Newham

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the potential effect of the extension of the benefit cap to £23,000 per year on the number of (a) people and (b) children who use food banks in (i) the London Borough of Newham and (ii) East Ham constituency.

Caroline Nokes: These figures are not available. It is widely acknowledged that the reasons people use food banks are complex and overlapping; it is misleading to link them to any one cause. For claimants who have their benefit capped extra financial support is available from Local Authorities via Discretionary Housing Payments. Local Authorities also offer budgeting advice and DWP offers claimants employment advice.

Home Office

Asylum: Calais

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution by the Home Secretary of 10 October 2016, Official Report, column 38, if she will write to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull North about reports that her Department has announced the doubling of asylum experts in France working on the Calais cases.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Home Office has deployed teams of officials to work alongside French officials in Calais to assist with speeding up the Dublin process and to identify and prioritise children who will be brought to the UK under the terms of the Dubs amendment to the Immigration Act 2016. Staff have been deployed flexibly to meet demand on the ground. We have also seconded an expert on Dublin cases to the French Interior Ministry – the second time we have done so this year.

Pathology

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken as a result of the recommendation made in the Hutton review of forensic pathology in England and Wales, submitted to the Minister of State for Crime and Prevention in March 2015, that non-forensic pathologists engaged in mass fatality incidents should work under the supervision of a Home Office Registered Forensic Pathologist.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office has consulted with the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s UK Disaster Victim Identification Unit who have stated that their systems for mass fatality incidents are in line with the recommendation in the Hutton review.

Pathology

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken as a result of the recommendation made in the Hutton review of forensic pathology in England and Wales, submitted to the Minister of State for Crime and Prevention in March 2015, that the User Requirements for Forensic Pathology form the basis for more formal contractual arrangements with the police.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office has consulted with both the police (through the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Homicide Working Group) and all six forensic pathology group practices over this recommendation. Following a review of current arrangements it was agreed not to implement this recommendation.

Post-mortems

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken as a result of the recommendation made in the Hutton review of forensic pathology in England and Wales, submitted to the Minister of State for Crime and Prevention in March 2015, that as a temporary measure to ensure that sensitive material (such as notes, photographs and copy statements) from forensic autopsies are kept in secure locations, and all unused material should be stored with the police file as is normally the case with all other unused material.

Brandon Lewis: This recommendation was initially considered as part of the review of the Forensic Archive Ltd. This review has now been published and recommended not to provide a central secure store for forensic pathology case material. The Home Office has taken steps to include changes into the next revision of the Forensic Science Regulator’s Codes of Practice and Performance Standards publication in line with the Hutton recommendation.

Members: Correspondence

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letter of 29 September 2016 from the Rt hon. Member for Warley on QA Liftrucks Ltd.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The response to the Rt Hon.Member's letter of 29 September 2016 was issued on 3 November 2016.

Bail

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received on extending the proposed limit for initial bail periods contained in the Policing and Crime Bill; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: As part of the consultation process in 2014/15 and subsequently, we have received a number of representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals calling for both longer and shorter periods of bail than those proposed in Part 4 of the Policing and Crime Bill currently before Parliament.The Government considers that the reforms set out in the Bill balance fairly the need for the police to be able to progress investigations with a minimum of administrative overhead while addressing the unfairness of keeping a person under investigation in ‘legal limbo’, as it cannot be right that they can spend months or even years on pre-charge bail with no judicial oversight, as happens at present.

Refugees: Abuse

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2016 to Question 48325, whether her Department holds information on the number of investigations conducted into allegations by service users that they have suffered abuse or harassment from Compass asylum accommodation contractor or sub-contractor staff.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Since the start of the COMPASS contracts in 2012 our records indicate that the number of complaints about provider staff has increased inline with the supported population. There have been a total of 32 investigations conducted by provider senior management into individual complaints, 27 of these complaints were not upheld. Of the 5 complaints that were upheld either refresher training was delivered to staff or appropriate disciplinary action was taken.

Visas: Overseas Students

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received on whether the operation of the Genuine Student Rule and Tier 4 interview policy by UK Visas and Immigration officers is (a) fair and (b) consistent.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We are in constant engagement with stakeholders within the education sector to ensure that the rules and guidance within Tier 4 are operating as intended. Entry Clearance Managers conduct regular reviews on the Tier 4 decision making process and UKVI International have a specialist assurance function that reviews decision quality of PBS applications.

Refugees

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to borough councils that have accepted refugee families to ensure successful integration into the community.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Government provides information and support to areas participating in the resettlement of refugees and works with a wide range of partners including local authorities and civil society organisations to ensure that people are integrated sensitively into local communities.

Asylum: Children

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children have been accepted by each (a) region of England, (b) nation of the UK and (c) local authority in each of the last six years; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Annual Figures on the number of claims for asylum from Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC), including by country of nationality, are published quarterly by the Home Office in the Immigration Statistics release.A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics April to June 2016, is available from:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statA regional breakdown is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Government is committed to ensuring that there is a more equitable distribution of UASC across the country and that no one authority has to care for more UASC than they are able to.That is why we introduced the voluntary National Transfer Scheme and have consulted with every region in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on their capacity. In order to continue the success of the voluntary scheme more local authorities will need to participate and offer places for unaccompanied children from councils which are caring for disproportionately high numbers.

Immigration: Children

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to extend the scope of the scheme for transferring responsibility for relevant children under section 73 of the Immigration Act 2016 to include Scotland.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We are consulting the Devolved Administrations on the extension of the transfer provisions in the Immigration Act 2016 to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We will confirm our plans in light of that consultation.

Immigration

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from (a) EU and EEA countries and (b) non-EEA countries have submitted applications for permanent UK residency since the UK voted to leave the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Statistics of decisions and grants of Documents Certifying Permanent Residence issued to EEA nationals and Permanent Residence cards issued to non EEA nationals are published quarterly in table ee_02_q of Immigration Statistics.The most recent edition is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-april-to-june-2016/list-of-tables#european-economic-area-eeaThe next set of Immigration Statistics covering the period July to September 2016 will be published on the 1 December.

Northern Ireland Office

Migrant Workers: Northern Ireland

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what proportion of workers living in the Republic of Ireland have their principal place of work in the border counties of Northern Ireland.

James Brokenshire: The 2011 Northern Ireland census revealed that a total of 14,800 people regularly travelled across the border for work or study, of whom 8,300 were travelling from Ireland to Northern Ireland. There is no specific evidence relating to how many of these people worked in border counties. The 2011 census did reveal that end-destinations were concentrated in the Belfast and Derry/Londonderry Local Government Districts, with further clusters in Newry, Armagh, Craigavon, Dungannon, Enniskillen, Omagh, Limavady, Strabane and Coleraine.

County Londonderry

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the boundary of County Londonderry with Ireland is on the western shore of Lough Foyle; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Government’s position remains that the whole of Lough Foyle is within the UK.

Inshore Fishing: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how the Foyle and Carlingford catchments fishing regime will be enforced and regulated after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The UK Government is committed to withdrawing from the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and putting a new fisheries regime in place. No decisions have yet been taken, although the Government remains committed to sustainable fisheries and the Discard Ban (Landing Obligation), as set out in its manifesto commitments. The UK is bound by international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which gives coastal states rights and responsibilities over their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the resources within it.

Inshore Fishing: Northern Ireland

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the inshore fishing regime.

James Brokenshire: EU exit gives the UK an opportunity to review fishing regimes across all segments of the UK fleet and to assess how we can best support sustainable fisheries. The Government looks forward to working with the Northern Ireland Executive throughout the negotiations process to ensure that this sector’s views are taken into account.

Department of Health

High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the correction of 1 November 2016 to the Answer of 26 October 2016 to Question 49779, for what reasons the High Weald Lewes Havens Clinical Commissioning Group did not immediately instruct Copeforma to cease using Docklands Medical Services Limited as a subcontractor when it identified that the Care Quality Commission registration in question related to Docklands Medical Services (London) rather than Docklands Medical Services Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the correction of 1 November 2016 to the Answer of 26 October 2016 to Question 49779, on what date the High Weald Lewes Haven Clinical Commissioning Group contacted Copeforma asking them to confirm the relevant Care Quality Commission registration status and on what date Copeforma responded; what the content of Copeforma's response to that request was; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Philip Dunne: I have asked NHS England to investigate this provision of transport services and NHS England is finalising the terms of reference for an independent review which will investigate how the commissioners were assured that all providers contracted by Coperforma were properly registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). As part of this investigation the timeline of events and communications between the clinical commissioning group (CCG) and Coperforma will be looked at. In relation to Question 49779 NHS England has supplied the following:- - On 29 July High Weald Lewes Haven CCG contacted Coperforma requesting an update on Docklands Medical Services Ltd’s CQC registration.- On 3 August Copeforma contacted the CCG informing them that Docklands Medical Services Ltd were still awaiting their updated CQC registration.

Health Services: Devon

Mr Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what scientific evidence led to the promotion of the care closer to home model adopted by the north, east and west Devon Success Regime.

Mr Philip Dunne: The proposals developed by the north, east and west Devon Success Regime have drawn upon a range of evidence, including studies of the potential benefits of care closer to home. This included a number of national and local studies, such as the Torrington Community Care Test of Change in Social Care which can be found at:www.northdevonhealth.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Appendix-7-Evidence-Review.pdf

Pharmacy: Recruitment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many clinical pharmacists have been recruited since the launch by NHS England of the clinical pharmacists in general practice pilot in July 2015.

David Mowat: NHS England has confirmed that, as at 31 October 2016, a total of 491 clinical pharmacists had been recruited in the general practice pilot since July 2015. This equates to 435 whole time equivalents.

Sheffield Hallam University: Finance

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 1.152 of Budget 2015, HC 1093, when he plans to give final approval for funding the Sheffield Hallam University Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department is aware of the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre proposals that were referred to in the 2015 Budget, and that Sheffield Hallam University has developed the proposals further since then and produced the business case required for approval. At £14 million, the proposals would represent a substantial allocation from the Department’s funding and they are being carefully considered. We do however recognise the concern locally to see this initiative progressed and anticipate a decision being made on the proposals as soon as practicable.

Psychiatry: Training

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many training places for core psychiatry training were (a) commissioned and (b) filled in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many training places for paediatrics were (a) commissioned and (b) filled in each of the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The following figures are produced by the Health Education England Oriel recruitment system and are for England. Oriel has only been in operation for the last three years and the Department does not have access to any comprehensive data collected by local regional teams prior to this. YearCommissionsFilledCore Psychiatry CT1 2016425404Core Psychiatry CT1 2015419362Core Psychiatry CT1 2014423354Paeds ST1 2016379351Paeds ST1 2015373359Paeds ST1 2014376374Source: OrielNote: The figures for Paediatrics are for ST1 only (which is general paediatrics). There are other paediatric specialties that are entered into in later years of speciality training.

Primary Health Care: Finance

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the Estates and Technology Transformation Fund (Primary Care) has been allocated to date.

David Mowat: To date, £465.9 million has been allocated by the Estates and Technology Transformation Fund.

Electronic Cigarettes

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution to savings to NHS resources of the introduction of e-cigarettes.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of those who use electronic cigarettes returning to smoking tobacco.

Nicola Blackwood: Using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is likely to be considerably less harmful to health than continuing to smoke. However, we have insufficient evidence on any residual health harms associated with long term use, and the numbers of users that relapse to smoking, to make an estimate on the impact of their use on National Health Service costs. The surveys that are undertaken often capture use at one point in time and we know that smokers often make repeated attempts to quit, using a variety of mechanisms to support them before success. E-cigarettes can help some smokers to quit for good and is currently the most popular quitting aid in England. Action for Smoking and Health data (May 2016) estimates that of the 2.8 million current users, around 1.3 million are ex-smokers, i.e. e-cigarette users who only vape. That is an increase from 2014 when around one third of users were ex-smokers.

NHS: Private Finance Initiative

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2016, Official Report, column 143, which (a) three legacy private finance initiative schemes relate to the liabilities figure of £1.7 billion and (b) PF2 scheme relates to the figure of £340 million given in that Answer.

Mr Philip Dunne: Information on the three legacy Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes signed since 2010, including the total expected payments under the contracts, is shown in the table below. NHS TrustCapital Value £ millionFinancial Close dateExpected payments under the PFI contract £ millionPapworth Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Cambridge)16512 March 2015502Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust (formerly Royal Liverpool Children's)23721 March 2013542Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust45013 December 2013719  Total1,763 The Private Finance 2 (PF2) scheme approved since 2010 is that for Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, which reached financial close on 11 December 2015. The figure of £340 million is the capital value of the scheme; the total expected payments under the PF2 contract (the liabilities) is £692 million. Between 1997 and 2010, 103 National Health Service hospital PFI schemes reached financial close, creating liabilities of £77 billion. The expected payments under both PFI and PF2 contracts are subject to meeting agreed performance and quality standards and include an annual uprate assumption for inflation of 2.5%.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of children attending accident and emergency departments with conditions relating to (a) drug and (b) alcohol abuse in the last six years.

Nicola Blackwood: It is not possible to identify drug and alcohol-related attendances in the ‘A&E dataset’.

Heroin

Mr David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many addicts have received pharmaceutical heroin from the public purse in (a) England and Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) Northern Ireland in each year since 2000.

Nicola Blackwood: The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System collects information on structured treatment for drug and/or alcohol users in England, but does not collect data on which drugs are used in opioid substitution treatment. As health is a devolved matter we cannot answer for the devolved administrations.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Research: Facilities

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the UK's science and innovation capacity.

Joseph Johnson: The UK is strong in science and innovation. With only 0.9% of the global population the UK accounts for 15.9% of the most highly cited research articles, and we have the most productive research base in the G7 in terms of papers and citations per unit of GDP. The proportion of innovative businesses in the UK increased from 44% in 2010-2012 to 53% in 2012-2014.We need to support innovation wherever it is found, that is why the Government has been working with local areas through the Science and Innovation Audits. The first Audits are extensive, detailed and useful and they prove that a locally driven, collaborative approach is the right way forward. Wave 2 areas will be announced shortly.Science and Innovation will be at the heart of our industrial strategy. Investment in science, funding through Innovate UK, and research and development tax credits all contribute to our goal of making sure the UK remains one of the most innovative countries in the world.

Tickets: Touting

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many fines have been issued by local Trading Standard authorities for breaches of section 90, chapter 5, part 3 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in relation to secondary ticketing since it came into force; and how many of those fines were of £5,000.

Margot James: The Department does not hold the information requested.

Minimum Wage

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2016 to Question 44540, how many of the 197 employers named by his Department for non-compliance with the national minimum wage on 11 August 2016 identified and paid additional arrears, not included in the sum of arrears for which they were named, under the self-correction mechanism introduced by HM Revenue and Customs in 2015; and what the combined total was of those additional arrears.

Margot James: Of the 197 employers named on 11 August 2016, 22 paid further arrears identified through self-correction. The sum total of self-corrected arrears paid by these employers was £410,967. This sum was paid to 1574 workers who had been underpaid.

Energy: Infrastructure

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will require Ofgem to consult local authorities and mayors before changes to energy infrastructure in their area are agreed; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Ofgem is responsible for the independent regulation of energy network companies. Under the regulatory framework companies are expected to demonstrate effective engagement with stakeholders on their activities, including, where relevant, local authorities and mayors. This applies to agreeing funding with Ofgem for the current 8-year price controls and on an annual basis thereafter. In addition, for larger infrastructure projects network companies have to provide evidence of engagement with stakeholders, and how any concerns have been addressed, to Ofgem as part of the funding approval process. They also have to do so in their planning applications for development consent.More widely, as part of the planning consent process, energy infrastructure developers who wish to make changes to their existing consents are required to consult with stakeholders and communities potentially affected by their proposals.

Companies Investigations Branch

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding was allocated to the Companies Investigation Branch in each year since 2009-10; and how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by that branch in those years.

Margot James: The Companies Investigation Branch (CIB) became part of the Insolvency Service in 2006. The name CIB is no longer in use and the work formerly undertaken by CIB is now dealt with by the Insolvency Service Company Investigations Live team.The Insolvency Service could only supply details of funding of live investigation work for 2009-10 at a disproportionate cost. Direct costs of its live investigation work, excluding any apportionment of overhead costs, are provided below. The Insolvency Service does not keep records of the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed in each team during the course of a year. This information could only be produced at a disproportionate cost. However, figures have been provided where available for staff directly employed solely on live investigation work. Direct costs £FTE Staff2010/116,933,173462011/126,243,211Not available2012/136,210,015Not available2013/146,147,060412014/156,198,545382015/165,400,83537

Social Mobility

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the effect of his policies on reducing the gap between the richest and the poorest areas in the UK since 2010.

Margot James: This Government has made significant progress in addressing the gaps in productivity across the UK. Since 2010, £12 billion has been allocated to local areas via the Local Growth Fund; 10 Devolution Deals have been agreed, further shifting the balance of power away from Whitehall; and £2.6 billion worth of private sector investment has been attracted to Enterprise Zones across England. Since March 2010, 57% of the rise in employment across the UK has come from outside London and the South East, and 69% of that rise in employment has come from outside London. That means there are over 1.3 million more people in work outside London, and over a million more outside London and the South East since March 2010. Birmingham is an excellent example of growth occurring outside of London and the South East. More foreign businesses invested in Greater Birmingham & Solihull in 2014/15 than any other LEP region, and the LEP area attracted 73 new FDI projects; investors included world-famous brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, KPMG, Virgin Media and Amazon. The Industrial Strategy, which my department is delivering, is a critical part of my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister’s vision of an economy that works for everyone, where the benefits of growth are shared up and down the country.

Companies: Directors

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of recent recommendations by the TUC that allowing workers to sit on company boards would encourage the long-term success of individual firms.

Margot James: There are advantages and disadvantages in allowing workers to sit on company boards, several of which are explored in the TUC’s recent paper, All Aboard: Making worker representation on company boards a reality. Broader views on the potential merits of this approach and other options for encouraging employee engagement, will be invited as part of a discussion paper that the Government intends to publish later this year on corporate governance.

Electricity Generation

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reducing the level of embedded benefit on the cost of the capacity market in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with National Grid on the potential effect of reducing the level of transmission network embedded benefit received by distributed generators on security of supply.

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with Ofgem on the potential effect of reducing the level of transmission network use of system embedded benefit received by distributed generators on industrial manufacturing competitiveness.

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reducing the level of transmission network embedded benefit received by distributed generators on the renewable electricity sector.

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reducing the level of transmission network embedded benefit received by distributed generators on the electricity storage sector.

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reducing the level of embedded benefit on household electricity costs.

Jesse Norman: Network charging is a matter for Ofgem, as the independent regulator, and it is leading the review of embedded benefits related to Transmission Network Use of System charges. The Department has received a number of stakeholder representations regarding embedded benefits, and we have made Ofgem aware of these. Proposals for changing the embedded benefits regime are currently being progressed through an open industry process, and it is likely that Ofgem will undertake a further consultation and impact assessment in early 2017, but will make a decision on approach when they receive the final modification report. We will engage with Ofgem as part of its assessment process to ensure that Government policy interests are taken into account, including aspects such as the potential effect of reducing the level of embedded benefits on the renewable energy sector, electricity storage, household and business electricity costs (including industrial manufacturing), and security of supply.

Companies House

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many records of dissolved companies have been destroyed by Companies House in each of the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years.

Margot James: Companies House has not destroyed records of dissolved companies in (a) the last twelve-months (b) the last five years.

Heathrow Airport

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Heathrow Airport expansion on the Government's industrial strategy.

Mr Nick Hurd: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Heathrow Airport

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Heathrow Airport expansion on the British steel industry.

Mr Nick Hurd: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Defence

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to ensure sovereign capacity in the UK for the construction of future sixth-generation jet fighters.

Harriett Baldwin: The 2012 National Security through Technology White Paper (CM8278) explains the Government's approach to Defence procurement, including the circumstances in which we take action to protect our operational advantage and freedom of action. The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (CM9161) reiterated the Government's commitment to this approach and identified the need to adopt a more vigilant and systematic approach to managing critical supply chains.The F35B Lightning II will deliver a potent fifth generation fighter capability for our Armed Forces. The UK has now been established as a maintenance and repair hub for all European F-35s. Together with UK industry's 15 per cent share by value of the manufacture of more than 3,000 planned aircraft, this will sustain thousands of high-quality UK jobs into the 2040s.The UK has been chosen by the United States to become a global hub for maintenance and support services for the F35 programme. The initial contracts will generate hundreds of millions of pounds of revenue, supporting thousands of highly skilled jobs, including in Wales.It is too early to take decisions on what might constitute any Future Combat Air System (FCAS), but through the FCAS Technology Initiative we are working in partnership with UK defence industry and our closest allies to develop key technologies while also sustaining the UK industrial base.This technology initiative is built around a national programme of activities to maintain and enhance the UK's position as a global leader in combat air technologies. It also includes programmes to develop an advanced unmanned combat air system demonstrator in partnership with France and bilateral projects with the United States.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's report, a Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, which local authorities his Department has met to discuss plans for the defence estate.

Mark Lancaster: "A Better Defence Estate" is a military-led report.Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials have met with the majority of Local Authorities impacted by the plans set out in "A Better Defence Estate" as part of the department's routine engagement process. Letters have also been sent to the leaders of all Local Authorities to inform them that Defence sites within their areas were included in the announcement. These letters set out the potential disposal time-frame, where applicable and invite appropriate engagement at official level with the Local Authorities on the likely impacts.The announcement aims to provide as much clarity and certainty on the MOD's long term intent, up to two decades, to invest in certain sites and communities. This will give Local Authorities the time to plan and to explore ways in which a vacated site could be used, including for housing or commercial use. The MOD is also aware of the impact that moving additional personnel into existing Defence sites will have on local communities and will be working closely with Local Authorities and relevant government departments.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's report, a Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, how many times his Department has met service family federations and Ministry of Defence trade unions to discuss plans for the defence estate.

Mark Lancaster: "A Better Defence Estate" is a military-led report.The Service Chiefs have been closely engaged with the formation of these plans including the Chief of Defence People who sets the strategy for developing a capable and motivated military and civilian work force. Now that the Department's intentions have been announced through the publication of "A Better Defence Estate", Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials will meet with service family federations to discuss plans. Consolidating the Defence Estate around capability and regional clusters will help to support this by providing additional stability to Service personnel and their families.In the twelve months leading up to the publication of "A Better Defence Estate", there were eleven meetings between MOD and Trades Union officials at which these plans were discussed. The Department has also committed to further detailed engagement on the plans.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of UK jet fighter aircraft are (a) fourth and (b) fifth generation.

Harriett Baldwin: The RAF's fast jet combat air fleet is comprised of fourth generation Tornado and Typhoon aircraft. The UK's new fifth generation F35B Lightning II aircraft is yet to enter operational service.The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 confirmed our commitment to buy 138 F35 Lightning aircraft over the life of the programme.To date the UK has taken delivery of six F35B aircraft.

RAF Leuchars

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel will be based at Leuchars on completion of the Better Defence Estate review, published in November 2016.

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many civilian jobs will be attached to Leuchars on completion of the Better Defence Estate review, published in November 2016.

Mark Lancaster: "A Better Defence Estate" is a military-led report.The number of civilian jobs and service personnel that will be based at Leuchars on completion of the "A Better Defence Estate" review is yet to be determined. As outlined in the Strategy, Leuchars will be one of the primary hubs in which the Defence Estate will consolidate in Scotland. Assessment studies in the next 12 to 18 months will clarify how Leuchars will be utilised and therefore the number of civilian and military personnel who will be based there.

Armed Forces

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what projections he has made of the size of the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force in 2017-18.

Mike Penning: The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015 set clear targets for the required number of trained Regular and Reserve Service personnel in April 2020, including 82,000 Regulars in the Army, 30,450 in the Royal Navy/Royal Marines and 31,750 in the Royal Air Force. Key details of the SDSR 2015 targets can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/494895/SDSR_2015_Booklet_vers_15.pdfThe Ministry of Defence undertakes detailed manpower planning for the Armed Forces but does not publish interim projections.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8 November 2016, WS 246, on which date Ministers of his Department were informed of the shortfall in funding for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

Mark Lancaster: I was informed of the shortfall in funding for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme on 20 October 2016.As per my Written Statement, Her Majesty's Treasury have remedied their error. No former or serving Service personnel have been affected.

Ministry of Defence: Finance

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8 November 2016, WS 249, whether the error referred to in that Statement has led to shortfalls in funding for other services provided by his Department.

Mark Lancaster: The error by Her Majesty's Treasury has not led to any further shortfalls in funding for other services in the Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department's recent shortfall in funding for the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) has prohibited AFPS recipients from drawing on their pension.

Mark Lancaster: Armed Forces Pension Scheme recipients were not affected by the recent error by Her Majesty's Treasury.

Public Expenditure

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Written Statement of 8 November 2016, WS 249, what steps his Department is taking to identify the source of the inadvertent publishing error referred to; and what steps he is taking to ensure such an error does not happen again.

Mark Lancaster: The printing error was made by Her Majesty's Treasury who are reviewing their internal processes to ensure such mistakes do not occur again. In future, the Ministry of Defence will have sight of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme figures prior to publication by Her Majesty's Treasury .

Veterans: Housing

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what account he is taking of veterans' needs in the redevelopment of his Department's housing sites.

Mark Lancaster: Ministry of Defence (MOD) housing supports serving members of the Armed Forces and their families. Where housing is no longer needed, MOD policy is to release it in accordance with Treasury Guidelines. Any sale must achieve best value for money for the Department, and this is usually achieved via the open market. Development of any MOD site, once sold, is a matter for the purchaser.The vast majority of our Service leavers make a smooth transition into civilian life. The MOD provides education and support to Service personnel due to leave the Armed Forces to prepare them for the transition to civilian life. This includes education and advice about future housing options, delivered by the Joint Service Housing Advice Office. In addition, the Government has put in place significant support for those who find the process difficult, including through the £40 million Veterans Accommodation Fund which opened in 2014.Service leavers have priority in applying for Government funded shared ownership schemes, which has now been extended to 24 months after service. Those injured in Service should also have preferential access to appropriate housing schemes, as well as assistance with necessary adaptations to private housing or Service accommodation whilst serving.The MOD Referral Scheme also provides support to Service leavers and their families, with social housing offers made directly by housing associations and other charitable housing providers following discharge.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the timetable is for the full order of Ajax armoured vehicles to be delivered to the British Army.

Harriett Baldwin: The first vehicles from the AJAX fleet will be delivered to the British Army in April 2017, with deliveries scheduled to be complete in 2025.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Ajax armoured vehicle in combat situations.

Harriett Baldwin: AJAX vehicles will transform the Army's medium armour and advanced intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability. They will be able to conduct sustained, expeditionary, full spectrum operations with a minimal logistic footprint, in a wide range of combat situations and potential future operating environments. As it is brought into service, AJAX will undergo rigorous trials and experimentation to understand and further optimise its combat effectiveness.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Homelessness

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of homeless people were (a) men and (b) women in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mr Marcus Jones: Homelessness statistics can be found in the live tables published by the department here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessnessTable 780 shows that in April to June 2016, of 15,170 households accepted as homeless in England, 8,410 were female one person or lone parent households, 2,410 were male one person or lone parent households, and the remaining 4,350 were couples or other household types. Table 782 shows that of the 73,120 households in temporary accommodation in England at 30 June 2016, 38,220 were female one person or lone parent households, 10,050 were male one person or lone parent households, and the remaining 24,850 were couples or other household types.CHAIN data for London shows that during 2015/16, 15% of people seen sleeping rough were female.

Local Government Finance

Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with parish council representatives on the Local Government Finance Settlement Technical Consultation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: During the consultation period, both I and officials at the department met a variety of representatives from the parishes sector to discuss the Local Government Finance Settlement 2017-18 Technical Consultation. This included a meeting between the minister and representatives from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), as well as several official-level meetings with representatives of the NALC, the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) and a variety of larger parishes. The minister also spoke at the NALC’s annual conference via video link on 19 October, and an official spoke at the SLCC’s annual conference on 14 October.

Planning Permission

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to prevent developers from making repeat applications to build on land unfit for development.

Gavin Barwell: Local planning authorities have powers to decline to determine planning applications if they have previously refused permission for two or more substantially similar applications on the same site, or if a substantially similar application has been rejected by the Secretary of State on appeal or following call-in, within the past two years. These powers are set out in sections 70A and 70B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).

Planning Permission

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much processing unsuccessful planning applications has cost local authorities in each of the last five years.

Gavin Barwell: The Department does not collect the data requested.

HM Treasury

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Jim Shannon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect on children's health of the soft drinks industry levy.

Jane Ellison: The Soft Drinks Industry Levy forms part of the Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan. The actions in this plan will significantly reduce England’s rate of childhood obesity within the next ten years. Since the Government announced the levy, some companies have already started to reformulate their products by removing added sugar content.

Company Voluntary Arrangements

Helen Goodman: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many company voluntary arrangements have been approved by HM Revenue and Customs where it has acted as a creditor in each of the last five years.

Helen Goodman: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many company voluntary arrangements have been rejected by HM Revenue and Customs where it has acted as a creditor in each of the last five years.

Helen Goodman: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times HM Revenue and Customs has petitioned for a business in a company voluntary arrangement to be wound up in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is a creditor in a majority of company voluntary arrangements (CVAs), usually in respect of the two main withholding taxes, VAT and PAYE. HMRC is supportive of business rescue and votes in favour of proposals that offer an optimum return to creditors; treat all creditors fairly; and most importantly demonstrate a clear understanding of how the company fell in to difficulties and make real changes to ensure that it can go forward not only paying against historic debt but paying its future tax in full and on time. Where these expectations aren’t met or if there are serious concerns that require investigation by a liquidator, HMRC will generally vote against the proposal.Indicative figures show that for April 2014 to March 2015, HMRC voted to support 299 (63%) CVA proposals and to reject 175 (37%). The figures for 2015-2016 were 217 (60%) and 149 (40%) respectively.Although figures for earlier years are not held, in answer to a Freedom of Information request in 2012 HMRC advised that of the 1640 CVA proposals received for the period 1 April 2011 to 30 November 2012, it voted: to approve 998 (61%); to reject 387 (24%) and it abstained or the proposal was withdrawn on 255 (15%). There is no business or operational need on the part of HMRC to record the number of petitions for a business in a CVA to be wound-up. This information is therefore not held.

Department for International Trade

Nigel Farage

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions Ministers or officials of his Department have had with Nigel Farage MEP or his representatives on international trade in the last three months.

Greg Hands: Neither my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State, Ministers nor officials from the Department for International Trade have had discussions with Nigel Farage MEP or his representatives on international trade in the last three months.

Department for Transport

Railways: Tickets

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to modernise ticketing on the railways by introducing flexible and smart season tickets.

Paul Maynard: By the end of 2018, my aim is for every passenger to have the choice of travelling without a paper ticket. In the first instance this means commuters having access to a smart season ticket, and other travellers being able to buy and use barcode tickets on their mobile phones anywhere on the network. Smart tickets offer passengers more convenience and choice – including better and more targeted travel information such as real time train running and platform information. My Department will oversee the delivery of these programmes. By the end of the year the South East Flexible Ticketing programme will have introduced smart ticketing on five of the major London and south east rail operators. In the North of England, we have committed £150m to support Transport for the North (TfN) in its plans to introduce smart ticketing. The Rail Delivery Group have brought the rail industry together to agree a long-term vision and it is critical that rail operators collaborate and share ideas to make this vision a reality. Through franchising competitions we are supporting the rail industry to develop and deliver modernised ticketing by setting challenging requirements for bidders, ensuring that customers benefit from a 21st century option. Flexible tickets can also offer significant benefits to customers.

Logistics

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the future locations of proposed developments of large logistics parks.

Mr John Hayes: The Department does not hold any systematic information about the future locations of proposed developments of large logistics parks. The planning and development of logistics parks is primarily a matter for local authorities.

Railways: Tickets

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps are being taken to introduce flexible and smart season tickets in West Yorkshire.

Paul Maynard: By the end of 2018, my aim is for every rail passenger to have the choice of travelling without a paper ticket. In the first instance this means commuters having access to a smart season ticket, and other travellers being able to buy and use barcode tickets on their mobile phones anywhere on the rail network. Smart tickets offer passengers more convenience and choice – we also want to improve data so there is better and more targeted travel information such as real time train running and platform information. My Department will oversee the delivery of these programmes. We have committed £150 million to Transport for the North to develop a multi-modal smart ticketing programme for the North. Transport for North’s vision is to roll out a phased pan-Northern approach that will simplify fares, slash queuing times for ticket purchases, and help passengers travel and switch easily between buses, trains and trams. The recently published Northern Transport Strategy report outlines plans to introduce carnet style ticketing early on in their implementation plan for smart and integrated ticketing.

Railways: Fares

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of rail fares were regulated by price in each year since 2009-10.

Paul Maynard: Although the Department holds data on rail fares, that data is commercially sensitive so could not be released in full. The Department is not able to provide the information requested. However, in 2015 the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) published a retail market review which included discussion of what proportion of rail fares are regulated. This report can be found here: http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/18212/orr-retail-market-review-emerging-findings.pdf Further information is also available in the ORR’s 2015 rail fares index which includes observations on the proportion of fare revenue which arises from regulated fares. That index can be found here: http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/17880/rail-fares-index-jan-2015.pdf.

Driving under Influence

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the introduction of a lower drink-drive limit in Scotland; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of introducing a similar limit in England and Wales.

Andrew Jones: The Government has no plans to lower the drink drive limit. We believe that rigorous enforcement and serious penalties for drink drivers are a more effective deterrent than changing the drink driving limit. A fundamental review on drink and drug driving was commissioned in 2009. My Hon Friend can read the coalition government’s response here, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-governments-response-to-the-reports-by-sir-peter-north-cbe-qc-and-the-transport-select-committee-on-drink-and-drug-driving, with which this Government agrees.

Heathrow Airport

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to improve connections between existing airports in the period before the proposed new runway at Heathrow Airport opens.

Mr John Hayes: Airports and airlines operate in the private sector, it is therefore for airlines to determine which routes they operate. However Government recognises the importance of protecting existing domestic air routes to London that are in danger of being lost. Where appropriate Government will look to protect these routes through public service obligations. The Government’s current road and rail investment programmes are seeing huge levels of investment in our transport network which will provide improved rail and road links to and between our country’s cities and airports. The Government plans to develop a new Aviation strategy to replace the 2013 Aviation Policy Framework next year. As part of developing the strategy Government will consider the role of connections between existing airports, and Government’s use of public service obligations.

Heathrow Airport

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many additional passengers his Department estimates will travel (a) to and (b) from the North West using the international connections served by an expanded Heathrow Airport.

Mr John Hayes: In 2040, compared to no expansion, around an extra 150,000 passengers could make one-way trips to, or from the North West using international connections offered by an expanded Heathrow. Approximately 120,000 of these additional trips would be to long haul destinations, and roughly 22,000 of these for business, rather than leisure.

Department for Transport: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on non-London pay structures in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Mr John Hayes: The tables below contain information on the percentage of Male and Female permanent employees on a non-London pay scale within the Department for Transport, including the following agencies:Department for Transport (central)Driver and Vehicle Licensing AgencyDriver and Vehicle Standards AgencyMaritime and Coastguard AgencyVehicle Certification Agency AAAOEOFast Stream*HEOSEOFemale66%58%34%100%40%31%Male34%42%66%0%60%69% Grade 7Grade 6SCS Band 1SCS Band 1A**SCS Band 2SCS Band 3***Female29%29%35%0%0%0%Male71%71%65%0%100%0%* Please note, there is only 1 Fast Streamer on a non-London pay structure in DfT** There are no staff within SCS Band 1A*** There are no SCS3 staff on a non-London pay structure

Exports: Heathrow Airport

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the value of British goods that will be exported to non-EU destinations served by an expanded Heathrow Airport.

Mr John Hayes: Expansion at Heathrow is expected to lead to 260,000 additional flights a year in 2040. While the department believes that trade benefits would come from airport expansion, the exact magnitude of these is uncertain. Indicative estimates of the trade impacts of airport expansion can be found in the Further Review and Sensitivities Report published as part of the Government’s announcement on its preferred scheme for airport expansion.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

BBC Monitoring

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the output of the BBC Monitoring Service of relinquishing the ownership of Caversham Park; what estimate he has made of the annual running costs of Caversham Park; how many BBC Monitoring staff he estimates will leave the organisation on the closure of Caversham Park; what the estimated extra costs, per staff member, will be of (a) London weighting, (b) commuting from Berkshire to Central London and (c) relocation; who the recipients of any funds derived from the sale of Caversham Park will be; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: The output which HMG expects from BBC Monitoring is set down in a revised Monitoring Agreement, which is currently under negotiation with the BBC. This agreement will cover the next eleven years of the Charter period from January 2017. I will place copies of the new Monitoring Agreement, when signed, in the Libraries of both Houses. The move from Caversham, and related financial and personnel aspects, are matters for the BBC.

BBC Monitoring

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the aggregate extra costs to government (a) departments and (b) agencies from purchasing (i) commercial services and (ii) monitoring relevant foreign broadcasts themselves in consequence of proposed cuts in BBC Monitoring; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: The reduction in the budget to BBC Monitoring will not affect the provision of Core Services – including the monitoring of relevant foreign broadcasts – that BBCM is committed to provide under the revised Monitoring Agreement that will run from 2017 to 2028. The government may procure Additional Services, under the scope of the BBC Monitoring Agreement, which are additional to the Core Services. Procurement of commercial open source services by departments or agencies would, similarly, be to complement, not replace, BBCM Core outputs.

BBC Monitoring

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect on national security of the (a) proposed reductions in the (i) staff and (ii) budget of BBC Monitoring and (b) the closure of Caversham Park.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Core Services from BBC Monitoring will be defined and set down in the new Monitoring Agreement that will run from 2017 to 2018. This agreement will be an improvement on the existing [2013-2016] scheme, as it will be better focussed, reflect changes in the nature of open source information and have improved performance monitoring and strategic prioritisation mechanisms to ensure BBCM outputs remain topical, reflective of new media and focused on customer needs. We are confident that the changes to the services which will result from this new agreement will benefit the national security community.

Kenya: UN Mission in South Sudan

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had on the withdrawal of Kenyan forces from the UN Mission in South Sudan with his counterparts in all the member states participating in that Mission.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned that a number of Kenyan troops have already been withdrawn from the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The UK High Commissioner in Nairobi raised these concerns directly with the Kenyan Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs on 8 November and emphasised the important role Kenya has to play in resolving the crisis in South Sudan and in providing security to ordinary South Sudanese through their participation in the peacekeeping force. The UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan discussed this issue with regional partners on 10 November in Kampala and our Mission to the UN in New York has discussed this with other Security Council Members and troop contributing counties. We understand that UNMISS are now looking at contingency plans.

Italy: Overseas Workers

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Italian counterparts on the legal status of UK citizens working as lettori at Italian universities; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: I refer the Hon. Member to my answer of 10 November 2016 (PQ 51789)

Nigel Farage

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions Ministers or officials of his Department have had with Nigel Farage MEP or his representatives on UK foreign policy in the last three months.

Sir Alan Duncan: No Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have met with Nigel Farage MEP in their ministerial capacities in the last three months.We are not aware of any meetings with officials.

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether it remains her Department's policy to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on official development assistance.

Rory Stewart: Meeting the 0.7 per cent target for overseas aid is a manifesto commitment. It is enshrined in law and the Government has been unequivocal that we will continue to honour that promise. Alongside our world-class diplomacy and spending two per cent of our wealth on defence, upholding our manifesto commitments on UK aid is vital to securing Britain’s place in the world, exporting economic prosperity, security and stability in the national interest.

Tanzania: Water

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to water in Tanzania.

James Wharton: The UK supports the Government of Tanzania’s nationwide Water Sector Development Programme, which aims to provide access to clean, safe water for 80% of the population by 2019. The UK Government’s contribution will improve water access for 2.1 million people in rural areas by 2019.

Africa: Overseas Trade

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is giving to countries in Africa to improve their capacity to trade.

Priti Patel: My Department’s core mission is and will always be to combat poverty. Post-Brexit, Britain can be a global leader in helping developing countries build their access to international markets and in ensuring that it is the poorest that benefit from these trading relationships. In taking this leadership role, we will be doing something that we can rightly be proud of, whilst also creating the UK’s trading partners of tomorrow.

Occupied Territories: Demolition

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to seek redress for the demolition by the government of Israel of structures in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which were built with assistance from the UK.

Rory Stewart: No structures directly funded by the UK have been demolished. The UK regularly raises demolitions with the government of Israel.

Sierra Leone: Overseas Aid

Wendy Morton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment her Department has made of development needs in Sierra Leone.

Priti Patel: I have just returned from Sierra Leone where I saw first-hand the scale of the development challenges, and the essential leadership role that the UK is playing in tackling them. Our cross-HMG response to the 2014/15 Ebola crisis was instrumental in bringing the epidemic under control. Since then the UK has pledged £240 million to Sierra Leone’s two year post-Ebola recovery agenda, which is saving lives, ensuring children get a better education and laying the groundwork for increased economic development.

Department for International Development: Cost Effectiveness

Mr Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to improve value for money in her Department's expenditure.

Priti Patel: Value for money is not just a matter for those who ultimately foot the bill for our aid budget – British taxpayers. Given the lifesaving work UK aid does across the globe, driving value for money also means that fewer lives are wasted to the scourge of poverty and disease. Driving the very best results for our money is therefore as much about helping the poorest as it is for justifying spending to those paying for it.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department plans to take to support developing countries in generating more renewable energy.

James Wharton: The UK Government has an ambitious agenda to increase renewable energy generation in developing countries, through better government planning and catalysing more public and private sector investment into renewable energy – including through CDC.

Department for Education

Training: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will devolve responsibility for skills funding to (a) the Mayor of London and (b) other authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Halfon: Skills funding is a matter for the Department for Education. The Government has agreed to the devolution of the Adult Education Budget to a number of English combined authorities as part of its published devolution agreements. We are open to working with other local areas, including London, to discuss how best to respond to their adult skills needs.

Pupils: Newcastle upon Tyne North

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the change in per pupil funding will be for each school in Newcastle upon Tyne North constituency as a result of the proposed national funding formula.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date the second stage consultation on the national funding formula is planned to commence.

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average change in per pupil funding will be for schools in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne, (b) the North East and (c) England as a result of the proposed national funding formula.

Nick Gibb: We will publish our response to the first stage of our consultation on a national funding formula for schools and for pupils with high needs later this year. At the same time we will put forward stage two of the consultation, exploring our detailed proposals on the design of the formula. This will include illustrative allocations for all schools and areas. After a full consultation, we will make final decisions and confirm arrangements in the new year. Until then, we are unable to comment on the changes that schools and areas would see to their budgets as a result of the formulae. We are determined to introduce change that is manageable for schools and local authorities, and our consultation will say more about the pace at which schools will move onto the formula.

Pre-school Education: Fees and Charges

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to prevent early years settings charging retainer fees to parents hoping to secure Government funded nursery places for their children.

Caroline Dinenage: English local authorities have a statutory duty under section 7 of the Childcare Act 2006 to secure early years provision free of charge for eligible two-year-old children and all three- and four-year old children in their area. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that parents are not charged for any part of their child’s free entitlement.The Department’s statutory guidance states that local authorities should ‘ensure that if providers charge for any goods or services, this is not a condition of children accessing their place’. The Statutory Guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2.We will publish updated statutory guidance in early 2017, which will restate the Government position on providers charging for additional services or consumables. We will make clear that local authorities should ensure that providers do not charge parents a deposit or retainer fee as a condition of taking up their child’s free place.

Church Commissioners

Church of England: Peterborough

Mr Stewart Jackson: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what the timetable is for the exchange of contracts on the sale of Phase 2 of the Paston Reserve residential site in Peterborough; and if she will make a statement.

Dame Caroline Spelman: Land at Paston near Peterborough is in the ownership of The Church Commissioners for England, Taylor Wimpey plc and the Homes and Communities Agency. The joint owners are in discussions with a house builder regarding the sale of a further phase following the success of Phase 1. Those discussions are ongoing. It is the Church Commissioners’ hope that these discussions can be concluded as quickly as possible. No timetable is currently available but all parties, including the prospective purchaser, are in regular contact and appraised as to progress.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many unpaid advisers left her Department in the last six months.

Matt Hancock: 8.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many unpaid advisers are currently based in her Department.

Matt Hancock: 93.

Internet: Bullying

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of online bullying and abuse among young people.

Matt Hancock: Government works with the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) which is a multi-stakeholder forum representing over 200 organisations with an interest in internet safety. UKCCIS brings together government, industry, law enforcement, academia, charities and parenting groups to work in partnership to help to keep children and young people safe online. It develops and promotes effective tools and information for children and parents. Further information on UKCCIS’s activities can be found on the gov.uk website.E-safety is taught at all four key stages as part of the national curriculum which is compulsory in state maintained schools. The Department for Education (DfE) has issued guidance for parents on how to protect their children from cyberbullying as well as guidance for teachers and schools.DfE recently announced £1.6m of funding over the next two years to four anti-bullying organisations, to support schools in tackling bullying. All four projects include cyberbullying elements. In particular, Internet Matters are delivering a project to allow pupils to report bullying to schools online – including capturing and reporting online abuse.

Gambling Commission

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2016 to Question 50345, if she will publish the URL for the annual report which is available online.

Tracey Crouch: The Gambling Commission's annual reports are available at http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/About-us/Annual-report-and-accounts.aspx

Sports: Young People

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage young adults to engage in team sports in their local communities.

Tracey Crouch: Government is committed to getting more young people from all backgrounds engaging in sport and physical activity, including team sports. Last year government published a new strategy, 'Sporting Future', which sets out a number of important actions that will ensure that all young people can benefit from engagement in sport and physical activity Sport England will be investing in team sports through its new programmes designed to support the people who regularly play sport, and programmes designed to tackle inactivity. Community sports teams will also be able to benefit from Sport England’s new Community Asset Fund, which will make £7.5 million of National Lottery funding available to support community clubs to modernise or expand their facilities.

Public Telephones: Repairs and Maintenance

Dr Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government takes to monitor how BT complies with Ofcom regulations in maintaining public telephone boxes and ensuring that those telephone boxes remain operational.

Matt Hancock: Under its Universal Service obligations, BT must provide public call boxes in order to meet the reasonable needs of users in terms of geographical coverage, the number of public call boxes and the quality of call box services. The Government provides the powers for Ofcom to set such conditions under section 45 of the Communications Act 2003. Compliance with Ofcom regulations is a matter for Ofcom and any evidence that BT is not complying with its published criteria should be presented to Ofcom to investigate.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many National Citizen Service 2015 graduates were eligible for free school meals.

Mr Rob Wilson: National Citizen Service is for all young people, regardless of background. Financial support is available to ensure that the programme is accessible to all. In 2015, 17% of NCS participants were eligible for free school meals, compared with around 10% of young people of the same age in the general population.

Heathrow Airport

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic effects on the North of England of increased inbound tourism as a result of Heathrow Airport expansion.

Tracey Crouch: The Department for Transport has undertaken an economic assessment of the impact of a new runway at Heathrow at national level, taking account of all regions. People in the North of England can expect to take advantage of new destinations, extra seats and increased frequency of service created by increased capacity at Heathrow.​ ​The Prime Minister's Tourism Action Plan, which features Transport as a key area, sets out how this Government plans to boost Tourism to the UK; and the Discover England Fund is creating world-class tourism products and experiences throughout the whole of England that will cater to the needs and aspirations of international visitors.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

DFDS: Ferries

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the requirement of the ferry company DFDS to require companion animals such as dogs and cats to remain inside vehicles and unattended during ferry crossings is compliant with her Department's pet travel policies.

George Eustice: Carriers who transport companion animals, such as pet cats and dogs, are obliged to meet the requirements of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport. This Regulation requires commercial carriers, such as the ferry company DFDS, to be authorised as an animal transporter. Authorised transporters must ensure that staff are trained and must have procedures and operating instructions in place that demonstrate compliance with the Regulation.In addition, in England, we also expect ferry companies to take into account the requirements of The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs and the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats when transporting cats and dogs in order to meet their welfare needs in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Nigel Farage

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions Ministers or officials of his Department have had with Nigel Farage MEP or his representatives on the UK's exit from the EU in the last three months.

Mr Robin Walker: Details of Ministerial meetings will be published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.

Brexit

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for the Government's timetable for triggering the Article 50 process of the High Court ruling on 3 November 2016 relating to that matter.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government disagrees with the High Court’s judgment. We are appealing to the Supreme Court.We remain committed to triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on an outer London pay structure in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Guto Bebb: We have no staff on an outer London pay structure.Staff in our Whitehall office are on an inner London pay structure, and staff in our Cardiff Office are on a National pay structure.

Ministry of Justice

Tickets: Touting

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted of offences concerning ticket touting under section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in each year since 2009-10.

Sir Oliver Heald: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts of offences related to football ticket touting, in England and Wales, since 2009, can be viewed in the Criminal Justice System outcomes by offence data tool on the Criminal Justice Systems Statistics Quarterly (December 2015) page on gov.uk.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many personal independence payment appeal tribunals have found in favour of the claimant in (a) 2015 and (b) 2016 to date; and what proportion that was of the number of such appeal cases.

Sir Oliver Heald: The number of personal independence payment appeal tribunals found in favour of the claimant (and as a proportion of those cleared at hearing) is published by the Ministry of Justice in the ‘Tribunals and Gender Recognition Statistics Quarterly’ on gov.uk.

Small Claims: Reform

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has to reform the small claims court.

Sir Oliver Heald: We announced our intention to introduce a new online procedure, supported by a new online rules committee, as part of the ‘transforming our justice system’ joint statement which was published on 15 September. This procedure will deliver a new online process for low value civil money claims.In November 2015 the government announced that it would raise the small claims limit for personal injury claims from £1,000 to £5,000. We will publish details of our plans in this area shortly.

Family Courts: Domestic Violence

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice of 15 September 2016, Official Report, column 1118, whether she has discussed the recommendations in the Women's Aid Nineteen Child Homicides report, published in January 2016, with that organisation; and if she will implement that report's recommendations on making the family courts process safer for women and children who are survivors of domestic abuse.

Dr Phillip Lee: Details of ministerial meetings are published on gov.uk.As was made clear during the debate in Parliament on 15 September, the Government is determined to improve the family justice response to domestic abuse and is carefully considering the recommendations made in the Women’s Aid report.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Reform

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans she has for the reform of the Court Service.

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of recent reforms to HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

Sir Oliver Heald: This Government is investing close to £1billion to modernise our courts and tribunals system. On 15 September the Lord Chancellor, Senior President of Tribunals and Lord Chief Justice published a joint paper setting out their vision to modernise our world-leading justice system, available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-our-justice-system-joint-statement Our reforms will reserve the full force of judge and courtroom for the most difficult and sensitive issues, and will strip away unnecessary hearings, redundant paper forms and duplication. We will introduce streamlined working practices and a modern digital infrastructure across all jurisdictions to eliminate the most common causes of delay. We will make more information and more services available online to provide swifter and more certain resolution for all parties. By combining tradition with technology we will improve the experience for all court and tribunal users. The modernisation work to deliver this vision has got off to a strong start and is delivering well against plans.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Pay

Catherine West: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of women are employed by his Department on non-London pay structures in the following pay grades (a) Administrative Assistant, (b) Administrative Officer, (c) Executive Officer, (d) Higher Executive Officer, (e) Fast Streamer, (f) Senior Executive Officer, (g) Grade Seven, (h) Grade Six, (i) Senior Civil Service Band 1, (j) Senior Civil Service Band 1A, (k) Senior Civil Service Band 2 and (l) Senior Civil Service Band 3.

Ben Gummer: The proportion of women employed by my Department on an outer London pay structure, by pay grade, is as follows:Admin Assistant/Officer: 0.3%Executive Officer: 0.5%Higher/Senior Executive Officer: 3.1%Grade Six/Seven: 2.1%The Cabinet Office is headquartered in London and therefore these figures will reflect that.The Government is committed to improving female representation and tackling the gender pay gap in the Civil Service. As part of the Talent Action Plan the commitments we will take forward include a critical talent review and to review our approach to maternity leave and returning to work. We have already introduced shared parental leave across the Civil Service and a new online job share portal to help people identify job share opportunities across the organisation.From April 2017 we will be introducing new measures that require all organisations across the private, voluntary and public sector to regularly publish gender pay gap analysis and statistics, to bring greater transparency to pay disparities between men and women across the UK.There is no central policy on moving civil servants between London and the regions. Departments determine their own workforce requirements and the Civil Service has significant UK-wide presence. Workforce planning is primarily the responsibility of each department to determine based on their individual operational and policy requirements.

House of Commons Commission

Parliament: Work Experience

John Mann: To ask the Rt. hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington representing the House of Commons Commission, how many interns' passes are currently issued in Parliament.

Tom Brake: The House of Commons Commission has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.